Women Young And Old Gather For Red Dress Run 5K

WEST HARTFORD — Betty Holroyd started running when she was 57 years old.

That was 30 years ago. She's still going strong.

A lot of women ran with their daughters at Saturday's Red Dress Run 5K for Women in Elizabeth Park. But Holroyd, 87, of Wallingford had three generations out there pounding the pavement on a hot summer morning. She ran with her daughter Kris Overstrum and granddaughters Katie and Betsy, all of Wallingford, on Saturday.

"It's nice," Holroyd said. "It's something you can do together."

Lisa Jacobus of Deerfield, N.H. won the race, which drew 780 women to Elizabeth Park, in 20:00.92. Tracy Corl of Norwich was second (20:20.53) and Caitlin Farrell of Glastonbury third (20:29.13).

The race, which is the largest women's-only race in the state, promotes awareness of heart disease and heart health and encourages donations to the Women's Heart Advantage Fund at Hartford Hospital.

Kris and her daughter Katie, who is 15, finished second in the mother-daughter division in a combined time of 49:09. Linda Begley of Suffield (who finished fourth) and her daughter Nina (who was 11th) won the division in 42:38.

Kris, 51, was fifth in her age group in 24:38. Her mom finished in 49:31 and won the 80-up age group, as the lone entry.

"It was hot today," Holroyd said. "I just wanted to finish."

Holroyd, who has five children, originally started running with her husband Bill.

"I remember we were sitting on the patio one Sunday," she said. "A couple of our kids came by and they were going for a run. That day, we went over to the Choate [School] track, which is near us. And I couldn't even run a quarter of the track. It's only a quarter mile."

Betsy, 11, thought that was funny.

"I couldn't," Holroyd told her. "So we started running in the evenings, my husband and I."

They did 5-milers and 10Ks and 5Ks. Bill, who is 89, stopped running at age 80 but his wife continued. Kris, who was a swimmer in college, started running around the same time. Her husband, who is a runner, encouraged her. Katie and Betsy are soccer players but they don't mind joining their mom and grandma. Kris plans their race itinerary.

"I just tag along," Holroyd said.

She is healthy and is proud of the fact that she isn't on any medications, despite her age.

"Some of her friends think she's crazy," Kris said. "They couldn't imagine getting up early and driving somewhere to exercise.

"We realize how important it is to take care of yourself. Mom swears her longevity is because she stays active."